Cartoonist Scott Hilburn and I have a lot in common. We both share the same first name, and we were both exposed to dangerous amounts of radiation as children. We also have all our teeth, a weird sense of humor, and a strong affection for puns. Unlike me, however, Hilburn is also a talented artist, and a hilarious cartoonist.

The Argyle Sweater is a collection of Hilburn’s single-panel cartoon by the same name. The influence of Gary Larson’s Far Side comics is easily noticeable, yet it never feels like he is attempting to copy or mimic Larson’s style. Hilburn’s humor is his own, a laughable blend of bad puns, unfortunate antonyms, and other fun examples of humorous wordplay.

This is where a book review would normally give a more detailed description of the contents, but I simply refuse to be the guy who sits there describing cartoons and ruining the joke. All I can tell you is that I will never look at the Pillsbury Doughboy the same way again. You can count on laughing out loud every so often in between the giggles and chuckles that will no doubt follow any reading of The Argyle Sweater.

The Argyle Sweater is a great collection of Hilburn’s past work, but there’s no need to stop there. You can also view his newest creations at theargylesweater.com, many of which no doubt comprise another wonderful collection in the near future.

There are so few cartoons left that are worth reading, let alone worthy of open laughter. Do yourself a favor and don’t miss out on this one. ( )

It's impossible to avoid the "Far Side" comparison with this cartoon collection, and it's no Far Side, but it tries. Over 10% of the jokes in this book are basic potty humor. I started counting after awhile because there's only so many times in a row 'ooh, butts!' stays funny. But if that's the kind of thing you like, you'll like this strip.

The art is is fine, in a clearly Larson-influenced style, but rarely does anything spectacular. ( )

Cows, chickens, dinosaurs, microorganisms. It's not difficult to identify the influence of The Far Side , Gary Larson's iconic comic strip, on The Argyle Sweater--an influence which lends both strengths and weaknesses to Scott Hilburn's strip. While readers will enjoy the same skewed sense of humour and subject matter, a feeling of deja-vu lingers over many of the panels and, like most pastiches, it's a level below the original. However, Hilburn does hit the mark with many of his gags (you'll hate yourself for laughing at a strip with the Pillsbury Dough Boy) and fans of The Far Side who are still going through withdrawl are well-advised to take a look. (It'll be interesting to see if Hilburn can inject more individuality within Larson's formula).

My two boys both asked me if this was a "Far Side" collection in disguise, and that's honestly how I'd have to characterize this comic panel collection. The art is fairly different, but the style of humor is unmistakeable. And if it's a concious imitation of Gary Larson's stuff, it's quite a good one, with several worthy of the master himself. I do prefer Larson's cleaner and more stylish artwork, but that's a minor quibble in a strip like this. ( )

The Argyle Sweater is about the closest cartoon one can find these days to Gary Larson's Far Side. From the drawing style, the single-panel framing (for most of the strips), and the absurd, punny humor, it is clear that this strip was inspired by (and pays homage to) The Far Side. Unfortunately, this means that the reader finds him or herself comparing it to Larson's inimitable creations.

While a decent collection in its own right, one comes away feeling that the best Argyle Sweater cartoons only begin to approach the Far Side. This being said, for someone who has felt a hole in his or her cartoon humor intake since Larson stopped publishing the Far Side, The Argyle Sweater is about as close as you'll come. For anyone who loved the Far Side, give this one a look. It may go a fair way in filling the void. ( )